Quiet Revolution

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For other uses, see Quiet Revolution (disambiguation).

The Quiet Revolution (French: Rvolution tranquille) was a period of intense socio-political and
socio-cultural change in the Canadian province of Quebec, characterized by the effective
secularization of society, the creation of a welfare state (tat-providence), and realignment of
politics into federalist and sovereignist factions. The Quiet Revolution typically refers to the efforts
made by the Liberal governments of Jean Lesage (elected in 1960) and Robert Bourassa (elected in
1970), though given the profound effect of the changes, most provincial governments since the
early 1960s have maintained an orientation based on core concepts developed and implemented in
that era.

A primary change was an effort by the provincial government to take more direct control over the
fields of health care and education, which had previously been in the hands of the Roman Catholic
Church. It created ministries of Health and Education, expanded the public service, and made
massive investments in the public education system and provincial infrastructure. The government
further allowed unionization of the civil service. It took measures to increase Qubcois control
over the province's economy and nationalized electricity production and distribution and worked to
establish the Canada/Quebec Pension Plan.

The Quiet Revolution was a period of unbridled economic and social development in Quebec and
Canada and paralleled similar developments in the West in general. It was a byproduct of Canada's
20-year post-war expansion and Quebec's position as the leading province for more than a century
before and after Confederation. It witnessed particular changes to the built environment and social
structures of Montreal, Quebec's leading city. The Quiet Revolution also extended beyond Quebec's
borders by virtue of its influence on contemporary Canadian politics. During the same era of
renewed Quebecois nationalism,[1] French Canadians made great inroads into both the structure and
direction of the federal government and national policy. Moreover, certain facets of the welfare
state, as they developed in Quebec in the 1960s, became nationalized by virtue of Quebec's
acceptance and promotion. This would include rural electrification and healthcare initiatives
undertaken by Tommy Douglas in Saskatchewan twenty years earlier.

Contents
1 Origins
2 Secularization
3 Economic reforms
4 Nationalism
5 Historiography
o 5.1 A revolution or a natural course of action?
5.1.1 Federal politics
5.1.2 Municipal politics
6 Important figures
7 See also
8 References
9 Further reading
10 External links

Origins
Place d'Armes in Montreal, an important historic site of French Canada

The Quiet Revolution began with the enacted Liberal provincial government of Jean Lesage, who
was elected in the June 1960 provincial election, shortly after the death of Premier Maurice
Duplessis, whose reign was known by some as the Grande Noirceur (Great Darkness), but viewed
by conservatives as epitomizing a religiously and culturally pure Quebec.

In many ways, Duplessis's death in 1959, quickly followed by the sudden death of his successor
Paul Sauv, triggered the Quiet Revolution. Campaigning under the slogans Il faut que a change
(Things have to change) and Matres chez nous (Masters of our own house), a phrase coined by Le
Devoir editor Andre Laurendeau, the Liberal Party, with Jean Lesage at its head, was elected within
a year of Duplessis's death.

It is generally accepted that the revolution ended before the October Crisis of 1970, but Quebec's
society has continued to change dramatically since then, notably with the rise of the sovereignty
movement, evidenced by the election of the sovereignist Parti Qubcois (first in 1976),[2] the
formation of a sovereignist political party representing Quebec on the federal level, the Bloc
Qubcois (formed in 1991),[2] as well as the 1980 and 1995 Sovereignty Referendums.[3][4] Some
scholars argue that the rise of the Quebec sovereignty movement during the 1970s is also part of
this period.[2]

Prior to the 1960s, the government of Quebec was controlled by conservative Maurice Duplessis,
leader of the Union Nationale party. Not all the Catholic Church supported Duplessis, as some
Catholic unions and members of the clergy including Montreal Archbishop Joseph Charbonneau
criticized Duplessis, but the bulk of the small-town and rural clergy supported Duplessis.[5] Some
quoted the Union Nationale slogan Le ciel est bleu, l'enfer est rouge (The sky (Heaven) is blue, Hell
is red) as a reference to the colours of the Union Nationale (blue) and the Liberals (red), the latter
accused often of being pro-communist.[citation needed] Radio Canada, the newspaper Le Devoir and
political journal Cit Libre were intellectual forums for critics of the Duplessis government.[5]

Prior to the Quiet Revolution, the province's natural resources were mainly developed by foreign
investors.[citation needed] As an example, the process of mining iron ore was developed by the US-based
Iron Ore Company of Canada. In the Spring of 1949 a group of 5,000 asbestos miners went on
strike for three months. The 1949 Asbestos Strike found Quebecer miners united against a
nationalist foreign corporation. Those who supported the miners included Monsignor Charbonneau,
Bishop of Montreal, the Qubcois nationalist newspaper, Le Devoir, and a small group of
intellectual individuals.[6] Until the second half of the 20th century, the majority of Francophone
Quebec workers lived below the poverty line,[citation needed] and Francophones did not join the
executive ranks of the businesses of their own province.[citation needed] Singer and political activist
Felix Leclerc described this phenomenon, writing, "Our people are the waterboys of their own
country."

Secularization
The Canadian Constitution of 1867 made education an area of provincial responsibility. Quebec set
up a Ministry of Public Instruction in 1868 but abolished it in 1875 under pressure from the
Catholic Church. The clergy believed it would be able to provide appropriate teaching to young
people and that the province should not interfere. By the early 1960s, there were more than 1,500
school boards, each responsible for its own programs, textbooks and the recognition of diplomas
according to its own criteria.

In addition, until the Quiet Revolution, higher education was accessible to only a minority of
French Canadians because of the generally low level of formal education and expense involved.[7]

Universit du Qubec Montral

Following World War II, while most of the United States and Canada was enjoying a long period of
prosperity and modernization, in Quebec, economic growth was slower during this period.[citation
needed]
The level of formal schooling among French Canadians was quite low: only 13% finished
grade 11, as opposed to 36% of English Canadians. One of the most scathing attacks was levelled
by Brother Jean-Paul Desbiens, writing under the pseudonym of Frre Untel. The publication of his
book Les insolences du Frre Untel (1960) quickly sold over 100,000 copies and has come to be
recognized as having important impact on the beginning of the Quiet Revolution.[citation needed]

Alphonse-Marie Parent presided over a commission established in 1961 to study the education
system and bring forth recommendations, which eventually led to the adoption of several reforms,
the most important of which was secularization of the education system. In 1964 a Ministry of
Education was established with Paul Grin-Lajoie appointed the first Minister of Education since
1875.[8] Although schools maintained their Catholic or Protestant character, in practice they became
secular institutions. Reforms included: the age for compulsory schooling was raised from 14 to 16,
free schooling until the 11th grade, school boards were reorganized, school curricula were
standardized, and classical colleges were replaced with cgeps.[7]

Also during this period the Ministry of Social Affairs was created, which in June 1985 became the
Ministry of Health and Social Services, and is responsible for the administration of health and social
services in the province.

The Quiet Revolution combined declericalization with the dramatic reforms of Vatican II. There
was a dramatic change in the role of nuns, which previously had attracted 2%-3% of Qubec's
young women. Many left the convent while very few young women entered. The Provincial
government took over the nuns' traditional role as provider of many of Quebec's educational and
social services. Often ex-nuns continued the same roles in civilian dress, but also men for the first
time started entering the teaching profession.[9]
Economic reforms

Hydro-Qubec's Jean-Lesage generating station, formerly known as Manic-2, built between 1961
and 1965.

Seeking a mandate for its most daring reform, the nationalization of the province's electric
companies under Hydro-Qubec, the Liberal Party called for a new election in 1962. The Liberal
party was returned to power with an increased majority in the Legislative Assembly of Quebec and
within six months, Ren Lvesque, Minister of Natural Resources, enacted his plans for Hydro-
Qubec. The Hydro-Qubec project grew to become an important symbol in Quebec. It
demonstrated the strength and initiative of the Quebec government and was a symbol of the
ingenuity of Qubcois in their capability to complete such an ambitious project.[10] The original
Hydro-Qubec project ushered in an era of "megaprojects" that would continue until 1984, seeing
Quebec's hydroelectric network grow and become a strong pillar of the province.[11] Today, Hydro-
Qubec remains a crucial element to the Quebec economy, with annual revenues of $12.7 billion
Canadian dollars, $1.1 billion going directly into the province's coffers.[12]

Hydro-Qubec headquarters in Montral

More public institutions were created to follow through with the desire to increase the province's
economic autonomy. The public companies SIDBEC (iron and steel), SOQUEM (mining),
REXFOR (forestry) and SOQUIP (petroleum) were created to exploit the province's natural
resources. This was a massive shift away from the Duplessis era in which Quebec's abundant
natural resources were minimally exploited. Duplessis' policy was to sell off untransformed natural
resources at bargain prices in order to create more employment in Quebec's regions. This strategy,
however, proved weak as Quebec's natural resources were exploited for little profit.[13] The shift in
mentality of the Quiet Revolution allowed Quebec to gain further financial autonomy by accessing
this area of the economy which, as is evidenced by Hydro-Qubec, is extremely profitable.[12] The
Socit gnrale de financement (General financing corporation) was created in 1962 to encourage
Qubcois to invest in their economic future and to increase the profitability of small companies. In
1963, in conjunction with the Canada Pension Plan the government of Canada authorized the
province to create its own Rgie des Rentes du Qubec (Quebec Pension Plan); universal
contributions came into effect in 1966. The Caisse de dpt et placement du Qubec was created in
1965 to manage the considerable revenues generated by the RRQ and to provide the capital
necessary for various projects in the public and private sectors.

A new labour code (Code du Travail) was adopted in 1964. It made unionizing much easier and
gave public employees the right to strike. It was during the same year that the Code Civil (Civil
Code) was modified to recognize the legal equality of spouses. In case of divorce, the rules for
administering the Divorce Act were retained using Quebec's old community property matrimonial
regime until 1980, when new legislation brought an automatic equal division of certain basic family
assets between spouses.

Nationalism
The societal and economic innovations of the Quiet Revolution, which empowered Quebec society,
emboldened certain nationalists to push for political independence.[14] While visiting Montreal for
Expo 67, General Charles de Gaulle proclaimed Vive le Qubec libre! in a speech at Montreal City
Hall, which gave the Quebec independence movement further public credibility. In 1968, the
sovereigntist Parti Qubcois was created, with Ren Lvesque as its leader. A small faction of
Marxist sovereignists began terrorist actions as the Front de libration du Qubec, the zenith of their
activities being the 1970 October Crisis, during which British diplomat James Cross as well as
Labour Minister Pierre Laporte were both kidnapped by FLQ cells, with Laporte eventually being
killed.[14]

The Parti Qubcois has twice led Quebecers through unsuccessful referendums, the first in 1980
on the question of political sovereignty with economic association to Canada,[3] and the second in
1995 on full sovereignty.[4]

In 1977, during their first term in office, the Parti Qubcois enacted the Charter of the French
Language, known in English as Bill 101, whose goal is to protect the French language by making it
the language of business in Quebec, as well as restricting the use of English on signs. The bill also
restricted the eligibility for elementary and high school students to attend school in English,
allowing this only for children of parents who had studied in English in Quebec. Children may also
be eligible for English education if their parents or grandparents received a certain amount of
English education outside of the province (ex. another Canadian province). Once a child has been
permitted to attend an English primary or high school the remaining children in that family are also
granted access.[2]

Historiography
This section contains weasel words: vague phrasing that often accompanies biased or
unverifiable information. Such statements should be clarified or removed. (June 2015)

Numerous historians have studied the Quiet Revolution, presenting somewhat different
interpretations of the same basic facts. They ask, for example, was it an unexpected revolution or an
inevitable evolution of society?[15] How important are economic factors such as outside control of
Quebec's finance and industry? Was the Motivating force one of liberalism or one of
nationalism?[16] What about the religious factors, and the changes going on inside the Catholic
Church?[17] Why did not the Catholic Church respond with a more vocal opposition?[18]
A revolution or a natural course of action?

Modern Quebec historians have brought some nuance to the importance of the Quiet Revolution.
Though the improvements made to Quebec society during this era make it seem like an extremely
innovative period, it has been posited that these changes follow a logical revolutionary movement
occurring throughout North America in the 1960s. Noted Quebec historian Jacques Rouillard took
this revisionist stance in arguing that the Quiet Revolution may have accelerated the natural
evolution of Quebecs francophone society rather than having turned it on its head.[19]

Several arguments support this view. From an economic perspective, Quebecs manufacturing
sector had seen important growth since the Industrial Revolution. Buoyed by significant
manufacturing demand during World War I and World War II, the Quebec economy was already
expanding before the events of the Quiet Revolution.[20]

Rouillard also argues that traditional portrayals of the Quiet Revolution falsely depict it as the rise
of Liberalism in Quebec. He notes the popularity enjoyed by federal Liberal Prime Minister Sir
Wilfrid Laurier as well as the Premiership of Adlard Godbout as examples of Qubec Liberalism
prior to the events of the Quiet Revolution. The Godbout administration was extremely innovative.
Its notable achievements include nationalizing the electricity distribution network of the city of
Montreal, granting universal suffrage, instituting mandatory schooling until the age of 14 and
establishing various social programs in Quebec.[21]

The perception of the Quiet Revolution as a great upheaval in Quebec society persists (with
significant merit), but the revisionist argument that describes this period as a natural continuation of
innovations already occurring in Qubec cannot be omitted from any discussion on the merits of the
Quiet Revolution.[19] The historiography of the period has been notably explored by Ronald Rudin,
who describes the legacy of the Lesage years in the depiction of what preceded them.[22] Though
criticized as apologists for Duplessis, Robert Rumilly and Conrad Black did add complexity to the
narrative of neo-nationalists by contesting the concept of a "Grande Noirceur," the idea that
Duplessis's tenure in office was one of reactionary policies and politics.[23][24] Dale Thomson, for his
part, noted that Jean Lesage, far from seeking to dismantle the traditional order, negotiated a
transition with (and sought to accommodate) Quebec's Catholic Church.[25] Several scholars have
lately sought to mediate the neo-nationalist and revisionist schools by looking at grassroots Catholic
activism and the Church's involvement in policy-making.[26][27]

Federal politics

Politics at the federal level were also in flux. In 1957, the federal government passed the Hospital
Insurance and Diagnostic Services Act. This was, effectively, the beginning of a pan-Canadian
system of public health insurance.[28][29] In 1961, Prime Minister Diefenbaker instituted the National
Hospital Insurance Plan, the first public health insurance plan adhered to by all the provinces. In
1966, the National Medicare program was created.[28]

Federal politics were further influenced by the election of Pierre Elliot Trudeau in 1968.[30] The rise
to power of arguably Canada's most influential Prime Minister was unique in Canadian politics. The
charisma and charm he displayed throughout his whirlwind campaign swept up much of the country
in what would be referred to as Trudeaumania.[31] Before the end of the 1960s, Trudeau would pass
the Official Languages Act (1969), which aimed to ensure that all federal government services were
available in both of Canada's official languages.[32] By the end of the 1960s, Trudeau had also
passed legislation decriminalizing homosexuality and certain types of abortion.[33][34]

Municipal politics
Montreal municipal politics were also going through an important upheaval. Jean Drapeau became
Montreal mayor on October 24, 1960.[35] Within the first few years of his tenure, Drapeau oversaw
a series of infrastructure projects, including the expansion of Dorval airport (now Montreal-Pierre
Elliott Trudeau International Airport), the opening of the Champlain bridge and the renaissance of
Old Montreal.[36] He also oversaw the construction and inauguration of Place des Arts.[37] Drapeau
was also instrumental in the construction of the Montreal metro system,[38] which was inaugurated
on October 14, 1966.[39] Under Drapeau, Montreal was awarded the 1967 International and
Universal Exposition (Expo 67), whose construction he oversaw.[40] He was also one of the key
politicians responsible for National League of baseball granting Montreal a franchise, the now-
defunct Montreal Expos.[41] Another of Drapeau's major projects was obtaining and holding the
1976 Summer Olympics.[42]

Important figures
Pierre Bourgault
Thrse Casgrain
Michel Chartrand
Jean Drapeau
Paul Grin-Lajoie
Eric Kierans
Pierre Laporte
Jean Lesage
Ren Lvesque
Pierre Trudeau
Maurice Duplessis
Gilles Vigneault

See also
Quebec portal

Politics portal

Catholicism portal

tat qubcois
Quebec politics
Timeline of Quebec history

Quiet Revolution
The Quiet Revolution (Rvolution tranquille) was a time of rapid change experienced in Qubec
during the 1960s. This vivid yet paradoxical description of the period was first used by an
anonymous writer in The Globe and Mail.

Lesage, Jean

His party came to power in 1960 and introduced the many reforms collectively called the Quiet
Revolution (courtesy "La Presse").

The Quiet Revolution (Rvolution tranquille) was a time of rapid change experienced in Qubec
during the 1960s. This vivid yet paradoxical description of the period was first used by an
anonymous writer in The Globe and Mail. Although Qubec was a highly industrialized, urban and
relatively outward-looking society in 1960, the Union Nationale party, in power since 1944, seemed
increasingly anachronistic as it held tenaciously to a conservative ideology and relentlessly
defended outdated traditional values.

In the election of 22 June 1960, the Liberals broke the hold of the Union Nationale, taking 51 seats
and 51.5% of the popular vote as compared to the latter's 43 seats and 46.6% of the vote. Under
Jean Lesage, the Qubec Liberal Party had developed a coherent and wide-ranging reform platform.
The main issue of the election was indicated by the Liberal slogan, "It's time for a change." As a
new middle class battled for greater control over Qubec's economic resources, bitter and divisive
attempts were made to redefine the role of francophone society in Canada.

Lesage Administration Reforms

In two years, the Lesage administration managed to carry out or plan many reforms: amongst
others, the establishment of a public hospital network (1961), the creation of ministries of cultural
affairs and of federal-provincial relations (1961), and the foundation of the Socit gnrale de
financement (General Investment Corporation) in 1962. A new age began as every aspect of society
came under scrutiny. The government attacked political patronage and changed the electoral map to
provide better representation for urban areas. To reduce the size of secret electoral funds, it limited
authorized expenditures during election periods. It also lowered the voting age from 21 to 18.
Lesage attempted to put the public purse in order by promoting a dynamic provincial budget and by
raising loans. From 196061 to 196667, the budget grew from $745 million to $2.1 billion. The
rapid and dramatic development of government institutions and the vastly increased role of the state
in the province's economic, social and cultural life unleashed forces that would have major
consequences. Most notably, the Catholic Church's role in society diminished, prosperity for
French-speaking Qubcois grew, and anationalist consciousness expanded.
The pressures exerted by the baby boom generation, which had now reached adolescence, created a
dramatic situation and pushed Qubec's weak educational system to its breaking point. The
government introduced new legislation on education and established the Commission of Inquiry on
Education, which was chaired by Mgr Alphonse-Marie Parent. The resulting 1964 Parent Report ,
tackled the entire system. In recommending the creation of a department of education, it questioned
the role of the Catholic Church, which controlled the public school system. The church resisted
recommended changes, but without success. The Parent Report contributed significantly to creating
a unified, democratic and modern school system accessible to the entire population.

The desire to modernize was also evident in the social sphere. Upon taking power, the government
decided to participate in the federal-provincial hospital insurance program. In 1964, it introduced
three major pieces of legislation: an extensive revision of the labour code; Bill 16, which abolished
a married woman's judicial restrictions by which her legal status was that of a minor; and a pension
plan.

Matres chez nous: Economic Nationalism

The government's main accomplishment in economics was the nationalization of private electricity
companies, an idea that was promoted in 1962 by Ren Lvesque, minister of natural resources. The
government decided to go to the electorate on this issue. On 14 November 1962, the Liberals won
on a platform for the nationalization of power with 56.6% of the vote and 63 seats. In 1963 all
private hydroelectric companies were nationalized. As a result, Hydro-Qubec (established in 1944)
became one of the largest Crown Corporations in North America. Unlike in previous years,
francophones were able to work entirely in French and to develop their technical, scientific, and
managerial skills. Such francization also occurred in the fields of education, social welfare, and
health services, as well as in all levels and departments of government bureaucracy.

The objectives of nationalization included standardizing rates across the province, co-ordinating
investments, integrating the system, encouraging industrialization, guaranteeing economic benefits
for the Qubec economy through a buy-Qubec policy, and making French the language of work in
the sector. Hydro-Qubec met most of these objectives and became a symbol of success and source
of pride for the Qubcois. Another major success was the creation in 1965 of the Caisse de dpot
et placement du Qubec. The Caisse was made responsible for administering the assets of the
Qubec Pension Plan, which rapidly grew to several billion dollars.

The matres chez nous ("masters in our own house") philosophy that permeated the government and
its reforms was bound to have an influence on Federal-Provincial Relations. The Lesage
government demanded a review of federal policy and won a major victory following a stormy First
Ministers' conference in 1964. After initially approaching the federal government for additional
funds to meet its needs, Lesage withdrew Qubec from several cost-sharing programs such as
pensions, health care, and tax-sharing in exchange for fiscal compensation. The issue of special
status arose when Qubec became the only province to opt out of some 30 joint programs that the
other provinces stayed with. It was perhaps to calm the anxieties of English Canada and to show his
good will that in 1964 Lesage agreed to a proposal for patriating and amending the Canadian
constitution by a method known as the Fulton-Favreau formula. This would have allowed the
Parliament of Canada to repeal or amend any provision of the Constitution, subject to a veto by any
given province on certain major issues, but to a two-thirds majority on others. However, because of
the extreme reactions of various nationalist groups within the province, Lesage withdrew his
support and dissociated from the other 10 governments that had accepted the formula.

Federal Provincial Tensions

The Qubec government also sought to stake out diplomatic ties. In 1961, it opened the Maisons du
Qubec in Paris, London and New York. However, when Qubec signalled its intention to sign
cultural and educational agreements with France, Ottawa intervened, asserting that there could be
only one interlocutor with foreign countries.

These federal-provincial quarrels raised the question of the place of Qubec and French Canadians
in Confederation. In 1965, for instance, the Royal Commission on Bilingualism and Biculturalism
noted that "Canada, without being fully conscious of the fact, is passing through the greatest crisis
in its history. The source of the crisis lies in the Province of Quebec." French Canadian nationalism,
which was becoming more and more Qubecois in nature, was exacerbated by this crisis. The
number of separatist groups increased some of which adopted more extreme positions and the
Front de Libration du Qubec began to engage in acts of terrorism.

At the same time, other francophones were concerned bysuch growing nationalism. Among them
were Jean Marchand, Grard Pelletier and Pierre Elliott Trudeau, who joined the federal Liberal
Party and were elected to Parliament in 1965.

In the mid-1960s, these so-called "wise men" had been recruited by the Liberal Party of Prime
Minister Lester B. Pearson in order to enhance francophone participation in federal government and
to help Ottawa quell potentially dangerous political clashes with Qubec's increasingly neo-
nationalist-inspired, and in some cases separatist-oriented, political parties and successive
governments. When the Qubec Liberals faced the electorate in 1966 they were confident of re-
election. But the Union Nationale had renewed its image and attracted dissatisfied individuals
among conservatives, nationalists and those who had voted Crditiste in the federal election. The
party still had a solid base in the rural areas that were left largely untouched by the Quiet
Revolution. On 5 June, the Union Nationale won 56 seats against the Liberals' 50. However, the
Liberals obtained 47% of the popular vote whereas the Unionistes, led by Daniel Johnson, obtained
41%.

In the late sixties, the federal government under Prime Minister Trudeau proposed a two-fold
strategy to improve federal-provincial relations. To enhance and encourage francophone
participation in all national institutions, a policy of official bilingualism was set forth. To guarantee
individual rights as well as the rights of Canada's two official linguistic communities, a renewed
Constitution with an inserted Charter of Rights and Freedoms was tabled. The first goal was
achieved in 1969, with the passing of the Official Languages Act. The second objective was
accomplished with the Constitution Act, 1982 (see Patriation of the Constitution), which
incorporated a Charter of Rights and Freedoms and a general amending formula based on seven
provinces comprising over 50 per cent of the Canadian population. The Quiet Revolution is a major
reference point used by successive Qubec governments in power since the Liberal defeat in 1966.
It is an event used to distinguish the old-guard socio-political structure of the past from the post-
Revolutionary paradigm.

FRONT DE LIBRATION DU QUBEC

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